One Shot: Love Long Lost
by PianoKeys913
Summary: What really happened between Beth and Art? How did they really feel about one another? Art's POV. Set after S3E3. I wanted to delve into Art's mind and his story. Wrote this before S4. Please Comment! :)


**NOTE: First Fanfic for Orphan Black (my new obsession) and first fanfic on this site in a long time. Feels good to be back. I started reading the OB comics and love getting all the side stories you do not get to see in the show. I decided to make my own for Art.**

 **SPOILER:::We finally hear him say that he had feelings for Beth in S3 (I had already suspected)**

 **I wanted to delve deeper into the back story and what they were feeling. Hope you enjoy and PLEASE COMMENT! Love hearing feedback.**

Love Long Lost

A long, exacerbated sigh escaped Art's lips as he put his car in park and stared at his ex-wife's house. He always had to prepare himself to hear her deep, stern tone critique his every move. It was going on a year since the split, and he did his best not to add up the days or even think about the reasons why. Yet, she always found a way to bring it up.

He got out the car and rang the bell. He could hear his children scuffling to their feet to answer the door. His young daughter's trill voice muffled through the window along with the barking dog.

"Daddy's here! Mom!" his daughter yelled.

Art knew she was waiting for him on the other side of the door, but she had to wait for her mother to answer the door. He tried to keep the growing smile on his face as the door opened and his ex-wife frowned.

"Kim," he said.

"Art," she answered dully.

"Daddy!" his eight year old daughter ran up to him arms open. He grabbed her and lifted her into a hug. The dog stood by his feet as he rubbed him on the head. He missed his dog, but knew his schedule was too unpredictable to properly care for him.

"Maia! My baby, I'm happy to see you. Did you miss me?"

"Yes! Daddy, you didn't come to my piano recital."

"I know, sweetheart. I'm sorry, I had to go to work. But I'll come to the next one, I promise."

"Hey dad," said his ten year old son, Tyler.

"What's up man?" Art gave him a hug and rubbed his head.

"How's your ball playing coming along?"

"It's alright."

"Not better than mine."

"Tsh, yeah right dad. You're old."

"Oh? I'm old, we'll see about that. We're playing this weekend. You bet you'll lose," Art smiled.

"Okay, bet," Ty threw the basketball between his hands. It fell on the floor and he began to bounce it.

"Ty, what did I tell you about bouncing that ball in this house," Kim said. "Ty!"

"Alright, mom."

"Maia and Ty go get your things okay?" Art said sending the children upstairs. He looked at Kim, her lips closed tight and arms crossed.

"What's the matter?" He asked with a sigh. She shook her head and looked down at her feet. He already knew. "You know how demanding my job's been, Kim? This is the same conversation we had even when we were together. It is what it is, but you know how much I love my kids. They have fun with me on the weekends and I'll keep taking care of them. I can even start coming over after work…maybe for dinner, if you'll have me. Just so I can see them."

"Oh, Art you know that'll never happen. You could never make it home in time for dinner, could you? Will you at least make it to your daughter's recital? All she could talk about was you, you know. I'm always stuck giving out excuses and watching them get upset."

"I'll do better, okay? But like I said this job…it's just been a little hectic lately is all."

"Well, this _other_ job must be hectic."

Art frowned.

"What other job?"

Kim looked at him with her dark brown eyes that always interrogated him. He used to joke that she should have been the cop.

"I called the police department to see if you were working late on the night of Maia's recital to see if I could convince them to let you out. Turns out you've been _suspended_ , had been a while since you were on active duty. Do you want to explain that?"

Art's heart sunk. _Shit. What do I tell her?_ He knew he couldn't tell her that he had been uncovering a secretly funded government escapade called Project Leda on the production of human clones. She'd probably laugh and confirm how she was right to divorce him.

The kids came clamoring down the stairs with their bags.

"Hey, go up to your rooms for now until daddy and I are done talking," Kim said as the kids worked their way back upstairs. Kim signaled for Art to follow her into the kitchen. They sat at the kitchen table as Art tried to come up with a believable lie.

"So what's going on, Art? Why were you suspended?"

"I was…digging too much into a case that had been long closed, ignoring my other obligations. I was just…on to something…"

"The Maggie Chen case," she stated rather than asked. He looked up at her, cursing the fact that she was there to see him struggle through the case, trying to hide everything going on, trying to hide Beth. His heart was tearing for Beth, wanting to just hold her and tell her it would be okay, but having to stay home with Kim who stopped loving him long before he fell in love with Beth.

"You know I can't talk about it."

"Oh stop! I'm your ex-wife, I know you better than anyone. You can at least be honest with me."

Art sat silently twirling his fingers and avoiding her eye contact. Kim scoffed and sat back in her chair.

"It's her…Beth. It's getting to you, isn't it? Her death?"

"Kim…"

"Just tell me. You couldn't deal, so they told you to take a break."

Art knew it wasn't the whole answer, the entire truth, but Sarah entering his life like an explosion and reminding him of the woman he lost affected him. Realizing that he tried to protect Beth and himself for going down on the Maggie Chen case made him overlook everything else, including what Beth needed right then when she called him…

"Just say it, Art. Say that you loved that woman. After all this time, you still won't admit it to me, to yourself."

"Fine. Is that what you want? I cared about Beth, she was my partner for years. She was in need of my help and support and that's what I tried to give. I just couldn't save her and that's on me. Now she's dead. Are you happy?" He stood up from the table and walked over to the steps to call Maia and Ty downstairs.

"Come on," he said and walked them out the house to his car. He got into the car and looked up at Kim who was standing in the doorway leaning against the frame. Instead of those piercing eyes she wore around him, she had sad, soft eyes. He even thought he saw a glimpse of sympathy. He looked away ignoring the pang in his heart reminding him of an old love that they both let escape their home every day until there was none left to spare.

It was Friday night, and they were all tired so a calm evening was best. Art ordered a pizza and a movie for the kids. After some disagreement on what to watch, they finally decided on a comedy and ate dinner. Afterwards, Art got them ready for bed and put his daughter in his room while he and his son got the sofa bed ready. Art tucked his son in then went into the room to tuck in his daughter.

"Ready for bed?"

"No."

"Why not?"

"Then, I only have two more days with you."

It hurt him to hear her say that. He wanted to be there for his kids, but he couldn't the way they wanted him to. Not anymore.

"You have all of life to be with me. I can be far far away and still be with you."

"How?" She laughed.

"Right here," he said pointing to her heart. She smiled.

"Do you miss mommy?"

"Sometimes."

"Mommy still loves you."

"I know, sweetheart. I love mommy too. And I love you more." He smiled and kissed her on the forehead. "Good night."

He got into bed next to Ty who was already asleep. He tried to roll over and sleep, but couldn't get the thoughts out of his head. The conversation he had with Sarah kept replaying in his head.

 _It just happened._

Just like that, he fell in love. With Beth. He couldn't pin point the exact moment that it happened, that he realized it was happening. He just began to notice how differently he began to notice her, how much he began to care. She was strong and brave, level-headed and focused. All the characteristics of a good cop. But she had a soft, sensitive side she only showed to people that she cared for deeply. He weak spot: Paul. He hated that man and how he made Beth feel. He'd always tell her that she should leave just how she'd always tell him that Kim may not have been the right person for him anymore. He always felt something, always knew they had a connection, but they never acted on it until that night.

 _"Art! Art, y-you've gotta get her quick. I need your help." Beth's voice quivered through the phone._

 _"What's wrong, Beth?"_

 _"I-I can't, just get here, please." She hung up._

 _Art rushed to get her, his heart racing. He knew something was really wrong, he could feel it. He pulled up to a road and slowly got out of his car. He pulled his gun, released the safety, and creeped down the alleyway. Then, he saw Beth huddled against the wall, arms wrapped around her knees and head down like a scared child. He saw a body sprawled on the damp ground, a body he'd never forget. He ran over to Beth calling her name and wrapped his arms around her._

 _"Beth!"_

 _She sat there crouched over._

 _"Beth! I'm here. What the hell happened?" He shook her as she wept clutching at his trench coat with her fingernails, shaking._

 _"Oh no…Oh no…." is all she would say. He pulled away from her and saw that she was still clutching a gun. Art did something that was against his code, as a man and as a cop. He put on his gloves and patted down Maggie Chen. He found her cell phone in her pocket and put it in her hand. When he turned around her saw Beth on her feet watching her with wide eyes. He walked up and stood so close their foreheads were almost touching._

 _"Listen to me…you turned around thought you saw gun and fired twice."_

 _She didn't say anything only stood staring at the dead body._

 _"Beth!" he grunted through his teeth. She looked at him with scared eyes and nodded hesitatingly. "Call it in."_

 _"What?" she yelled. "I can't call it in I'm going to get into so much trouble…I'll get suspended…fired…."_

 _"You have to call it in. Do it now! Or you'll look guilty."_

 _Beth dialed the police department and explained what happened. Art got in his car and waited around the corner until they called him to the scene._

 _It was a long night. They took her to the station for questioning. He waited outside her apartment until she got back parked where Paul wouldn't notice._

 _Her car pulled into the driveway and she walked over to his car and got in._

 _"Did you tell them what I told you to say?" He asked. She nodded. They sat quietly, him staring out into the dark night, her staring down at her hands examining them._

 _"Beth, what happened? Who is Maggie Chen? Did you shoot her on purpose?"_

 _Beth looked up at him and he knew it was true._

 _"I can't tell you…If I tell you…"_

 _"You know you can trust me."_

 _"I know! I know, it's just. I'm already in over my head. I don't want to put you there."_

 _"Listen," he took her hand. "I am your partner. I care about you…so much that I put my entire career on the line for you tonight. If you go down, I go down with you. You have to give me something…"_

 _"Can we not talk about this right now! Shit, Art, just killed someone tonight," she yelled._

 _"Alright," he put his hands up. She sighed and ran her hands through her hair. "It's not over."_

 _He looked out the window and then turned back around when he heard sniffling. Beth had tears running down her face. He had heard her voice crack when she was upset, seen tears well in her eyes many times for Paul, but never seen her cry as much as she had that night._

 _"I'm so sorry…"_

 _He pulled her into a hug._

 _"It's alright. I got your back."_

 _He let her cry until she pulled away. He didn't let her go completely._

 _"I hope you know how much I…I love you, Beth."_

 _She stared into his eyes._

 _"I love you too," she whispered and pulled him into a kiss._

 _His heart fluttered; he had been waiting for this moment, for a chance to finally show her how he felt. He didn't hold back and let himself become vulnerable. He ran his fingers through her hair and down her back. Art thought they finally had a chance, but just that quickly she pulled away._

 _"I can't…" she said holding the back of his neck, her forehead against his. "He is in there…"_

 _Art hid his anger, the rejection he felt knowing she'd run to Paul and let him hold her._

 _"Yeah..." is all he could bring himself to say._

 _She pulled away and stared at the apartment._

 _"I…have to go."_

 _Art didn't say anything, only watched her get out of the car. Before closing the door, she looked back in at him._

 _"Thank you…for everything, Art."_

 _He nodded and watched her go inside._

He still remembered that day vividly. Looking back after everything he knew now, he understood why she didn't want to tell him. She wanted to protect him from the craziness of her life as she realized everything she knew about herself and her relationship was a lie. If only he would have found out sooner…

 _She called him in the middle of the night, voice cracking. He could tell she had been crying as she did often since the shooting. The meds made her loopy, incoherent. She forget simple things, began showing up late for her shift or not at all. She was about to be fired._

 _"Art…"_

 _"Where the hell have you been, Beth? You know, I've had to cover your ass now for about a week. You are this close to losing your job. You have to get it together. The hearing is in a few of days."_

 _"I know, I know. I just…I don't think I can do this anymore."_

 _"Yes, you can! You have to. For both of our sake. If you go and state your case you will get off with manslaughter. You'll get off fine. Maybe only suspension."_

 _"Art, you are not listening to me. This case has completely changed my life. I can't think straight. Paul's gone…"_

 _"Oh so your boyfriend is gone so you call me. Your last resort."_

 _"What?"_

 _"You know I can't compete with him."_

 _"That's what you've been on about. I can't tell him anything, I'm trying to tell you. You wanted to know who Maggie Chen was."_

 _"I don't even care anymore Beth. All I want is for you to pass this hearing and get back on the force. We can put all of this behind us. Get some rest, okay? I'll talk to you later."_

"I'm sorry, Beth…" He whispered as he stared at the wall. He fought the tears welling up in his eyes, the pressure making his head hurt. He promised that he would make things right, look out for her sisters she never had the chance to tell him about. "I need you to look out for us, for Sarah…I think you two would have gotten along. And Cosima, Allison, especially Helena." He smiled.

"I miss you. I love you," he said as he closed his eyes falling asleep keeping her face in his mind.

 **Hope you all enjoyed. Comments much appreciated!**


End file.
